Apilactobacillus intestinapis sp. nov., isolated from the honeybee

The genus Apilactobacillus currently includes 12 species with validly published names, the majority of which are closely associated with honeybees. A Gram-positive, facultatively anaerobic, catalase-negative and fructose-dependent strain, designated 1-1-2^T, was isolated from the gut of a honeybee (Apis mellifera). Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain 1-1-2ᵀ represents a distinct lineage within the genus Apilactobacillus, with its closest phylogenetic neighbours being Apilactobacillus kunkeei YH-15^T (99.8% sequence similarity), Apilactobacillus nanyangensis HN36-1^T (99.8%) and Apilactobacillus apinorum Fhon13N^T (98.8%). The complete genome of strain 1-1-2^T comprised 1,596,221 bp, with a G+C content of 37.1 mol%. Pairwise comparisons of average nucleotide identity (ANI) and digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH) values between strain 1-1-2^T and its closest phylogenetic neighbours - A. kunkeei DSMZ 12361^T, A. nanyangensis HN36-1^T and A. apinorum Fhon13N^T - revealed ANI values ranging from 80.1% to 93.8% and dDDH values ranging from 22.6% to 52.1%. Strain 1-1-2^T can also be distinguished from its closest relatives based on phenotypic and chemotaxonomic characteristics. Accordingly, we propose that strain 1-1-2^T represents a novel species within the genus Apilactobacillus, for which the name Apilactobacillus intestinapis sp. nov. is proposed, with 1-1-2^T (=BCRC 81468^T=NBRC 117233^T) as the type strain.